Skeptical about sacrococcygeal blocks?
Find out why the block is anesthesia and analgesia expert Tasha McNerneys go-to trick for urethral obstruction cats, plus a how-to video.
Valentine Otkidatch/Shutterstock.com“Sacrococcygeal blocks will change the way you approach urethral obstruction cats,” says CVC educator Tasha McNerney, BS, CVT, CVPP, VTS (anesthesia and analgesia). Why? About 30 seconds after the injection, anal tone disappears and the penis falls out of its sheath, ready for a urinary catheter.
It's OK-McNerney was skeptical too.
“An anesthesiologist came in and taught sacrococcygeal blocks at my practice, and I was like, ‘Oh, whatever. We'll see,'” she admits. “And when I turned the cat over and the penis really did come out, I was telling everybody. I even ran up to reception with the news.”
If you'd like perform sacrococcygeal blocks in your practice, McNerney recommends watching this how-to video from VETgirl.
Another key to successful sacrococcygeal blocks? Make sure the cat is sedated. Trying to perform this on an awake, painful, blocked cat is bad for the cat, for you and for your face, says McNerney.
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